Little Book
by Avatar Obsession
Summary: A collection of Linzin oneshots. Shot one: Little book.. " 'I don't see what the big deal is,' he teased. 'It's just a little book.' Still holding her down with one hand, he used the other to flip open the book, holding it further out of her reach. 'Dear Diary," he began to read, 'today-' "
1. Little Book

"Tenzin!" the girl roared, her voice dripping with vengeance. "Where the hell are you?"

She rounded the corner of the hall, searching for the thief. Panic surged through her as she saw a wisp of flowing orange fabric dart into the laundry room. Eyes ablaze, she charged after, knowing he'd be cornered once she slammed the door behind her.

Panting, she blocked the exit, and the taller teenager flashed a cocky smile. "What's the matter, little Lin? Looking for… this?" He held a small book bound in tattered leather over his head. Lin let out a low growl and lunged for it, only to have her wrist grabbed by a larger hand. She twisted out of his grasp and tried to take out his knees with a swiping kick. Tenzin jumped out of the way beforehand, leaving her crouched. She badly attempted to wrestle him down, wrapping an arm around the backs of his knees, and was kicked away. Lin sprung back up, reaching desperately for the book yet again, but was held back by a hand on her shoulder, pinning her down low. She glared up at Tenzin, who smirked. "I don't see what the big deal is," he teased. "It's just a little book." Still holding her down with one hand, he used the other to flip open the book, holding it further out of her reach.

"Dear Diary," he began to read, "today-"

Lin jumped up and smacked into his arm, sending the book flying into a load of dirty clothes. Before the boy could react, she dove, snatching it up. She hunched over the book, its brown leather cover beautifully engraved with a chunky square, coiling pattern, a spinoff of typical Earth Kingdom emblem symbols. In the center was her name, written in gold. The book held all of her deepest secrets. She let out a sigh of relief.

Her long, wavy black hair fell protectively around her face, shielding her center from view, and she tucked the book safely into the bindings under her shirt. She slowly stood, sending Tenzin a look that would scare even his infamous father, the Avatar. He raised an eyebrow. "What, have you got something about me written in there?"

Lin crossed her arms. "No," she bit, not allowing the blush to start forming.

"Then let me see it," Tenzin smirked.  
She narrowed her eyes. "Try to get it from me, " she threatened. There was no way he was getting ahold of it again. That would be the absolute last time she left it on her dresser, she decided.

Tenzin rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'm afraid to go in there and take it? Because I will," he stated.

Lin grunted and crossed her arms. "You're infuriating!" she yelled. "Why do you even want it?" she demanded.

Her hair swirled around her rapidly, catching her off guard. While she was distracted by the sudden gust of wind, Tenzin grabbed her with one arm and hoisted her over his shoulder. Lin blinked, then grit her teeth.

"Put me down!" She yelled, trying to bend the ground beneath him. Unfortunately, before the spike even made contact, he whisked himself up above the ground. The second his toes touched the ground, she tried again, trying to slip him up, but this pattern simply continued. Strike, dodge; earth, air.

It didn't take long for Lin to grow tired of this game. "Damn it!" She yelled, furious. She elbowed Tenzin in the back, hard, causing him to drop her into a pile of clothes.

He chuckled. "Did you just hit me?" he joked, "Because I didn't feel a thing."

Lin's eyes darted across the room, locating what she was looking for, sitting forgotten in the corner. "Oh really?" she asked. "Well maybe you'll feel this!"

She seized Tenzin's staff and used it against him, attempting to bring it down on his head. Unfortunately he dodged too quickly, and she only caught his arm. But no matter; she kept hitting whatever she could get ahold of, smashing the wooden stick and taking out her anger until Tenzin reached up and grabbed the staff, hands on either side of hers. He used this as leverage to push her back, holding her against the wall with the weapon.

He grinned. "Nope, still didn't feel a thing."

Lin looked up and thrashed, trying to break free, but the boy was stronger and what little recoil she could muster was immediately demolished. Frustrated, she smashed her head against his, instantly regretting doing so as a sharp pain stabbed her forehead.

"Damn.." she muttered in defeat. He was coated in sweat, her hair was everywhere, and she was just downright exhausted. She rested her head against the wall and closed her eyes. "I give up," she groaned. Let him take the dang thing, she thought, eyes still closed. He wouldn't actually go in there. She knew him better than that.

A sudden burst of wind blew her hair back, and by the time she could open her eyes, he was right there, his lips pressed against hers. Lin's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled back. "W-What the hell was that?" She stuttered, turning red.

"Well…" Tenzin pondered, touching his lips, " I felt that."  
Lin shook her head. "What on earth is your deal?" she asked, smiling slightly.

He shrugged. "I dunno. So… can I have the book?" he asked hopefully.

Lin's face flattened. "No."

**I haven't written anything at all in a while, and this just came to me. Okay, I guess not really came; its based loosely on a real event. **

**A few weeks ago my boyfriend asked if he'd inspired any of my stories; he can now say that he has. **

**Happy 7 months, Italy ^_^  
**

***  
**As to readers... review! First actual Linzin fic**

**Sorry if they're a bit OOC; this is based around the age of 11 or so**


	2. Sneaking Out

**I think I might turn this into a Linzin oneshot collection :) I'm really liking the potential **

It had been a long day, and Chief BeiFong had passed out on the couch, not even bothering to change out of her uniform. Her bare feet were kicked up on the armrest, her hair had come out of its piece and trailed over the side of the sofa, and her mouth hung wide open, letting out a soft snoring.

Lin chuckled; this wasn't the first time. Her mother had been working hard for the last several months trying to wrangle down Yukon, Republic City's latest top felon. She walked over to the closet and pulled out a blanket, and draped it over Toph. She brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, mom." She said softly.

Trailing to the bathroom, she changed into her nightclothes and prepared to go to bed herself. After doing her evening activities of brushing her hair and washing up, she poked her head into her parents' bedroom. Her father lay sleeping, used to his wife's unusual nightly schedule. His chair lay empty next to the bed. Something told Lin she should move it, but she just left it be; it would be a shame to wake him. "'Night, daddy."

Lin continued on down the hall and closed her own bedroom door, burying herself under the covers. Unfortunately, her eyes were less than heavy, and she just stared at the ceiling, thinking.

She didn't know how her mom did it. The woman was the head of the police force, and somehow managed to operate it like a smoothly run machine. When she wasn't ordering officers, she had more work piled up to bring home. It was so hard… so much to do.

Finally, Lin yawned. Some day, she was expected to take her place. The thought almost scared her. But right now, she was fifteen, far too young to surpass Toph. And she had plenty of years of learning to do.

She snuggled her face down into her pillows, and fell asleep.

* * *

Around midnight, she was awoken by a small "crack". She bolted upright in bed. "Who's there?" she mumbled, squinting into the darkness. There was another "clink", and she snapped to face the window. Though she was sure that's where the noise had been from, she saw no movement outside of the glass pane. She shook her head, blaming it on the wind. Still skeptical, she laid back and tried to go back to sleep.

Another sharp crack made her sit up again. "Alright, what the hell…" she muttered, irritated. She pulled back her covers and walked over and opened window, peering out into the darkened yard. "Who the heck is keeping me awake?" she whispered. She was answered by a stone flicking her right in the forehead, seemingly carried by a strong breeze. Lin rubbed her forehead.

"Okay, that's it. Show yourself!"

A tall shadow appeared from behind a tree twenty feet away. Lin squinted, trying to get a better view. "Tenzin?" she asked, bewildered.  
He silently walked up to the window, grinning. "No, its Bumi," he said sarcastically. He reached into the window and wrapped his arms around her, leaning in for a quick kiss. Lin laughed. "What are you doing here?" she said quietly, trying to keep from smiling. "You're going to wake my parents."

He flashed her look. "I'm here to break you out," he said. "Come on."

Lin looked around and held her breath, trying to hear if anyone had woken up. With the assumption that nobody else was conscious, she grinned and jumped out of the window.  
Tenzin took her hand and led her across the yard. Lin giggled, enjoying the rush of rebellion, until she heard a loud slam. She froze, whipping around towards the house.  
"Lin Vyoma Bei Fong, you get your sorry behind back in this house right now or you're going to seriously regret it!" her mother bellowed. Crud, she was sure that she'd been asleep…

Lin gulped, about to turn back, before she was suddenly scooped up bridal-style. "Oh no you don't," Tenzin joked quietly in her ear. Her eyes widened; her mother was going to murder her.

There was another slam from behind them, and Lin watched over Tenzin's shoulder. Her mom was running across the yard, screaming in a fit. "Tenzin! Don't you think for a second that I will not call your parents because you know damn right that I will!"

Tenzin chuckled at this, and leapt up, using airbending to make a speedy retreat. Lin watched in awe as the scene behind them faded into the distance. Once they were far enough away, the shock began to wear off, and she laughed. "Oh my Spirits…" she said. "I can't believe this." Lin grinned excitedly. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there," Tenzin explained. Lin shrugged, and took in the night air. It was slightly chilly despite the summer, and she wondered momentarily why she wasn't cold. At once it hit her that she was still in Tenzin's arms, who hadn't put her down. Upon the realization, her legs itched, and she was tired of being carried.

"…can I walk by myself now?" she asked. "We're out of mom's reign."

Tenzin sighed. "I guess… we're almost here, anyways," he grinned.

He set her on the ground and took her hand. "Close your eyes," he stated. Lin played along, and closed her eyes. He led her another, oh, hundred feet or so, she guessed, before he allowed her to open them again.

They were in the middle of a field, illuminated almost magically by the moonlight. There were a few trees that glistened with early-forming dew, reflecting the image of the stars shining above in the inky sky. Not far from where they stood, was the back of a factory she'd passed every day; she had no idea that this place was located just behind it.

In front of her was a blanket, with a cliché whicker picnic basket, and a vase of lilies placed in the center. Two crystal glasses rested on either side of the vase, along with two bottles of sparkling Lychee juice.

Lin's mouth hung open, and she turned towards Tenzin. "What is all of this?" she asked, taken away. He shrugged almost shyly.

"Well, I know you've been really stressed and cooped up lately, what with your mom cracking down on you… I just wanted to do something nice for you," he said.

She looked up at him, amazed. "Wow..." she muttered. "What's in the basket?"

Tenzin grinned. "Your favorites, of course!"

He sat down and opened the basket, pulling out a dish of orange chicken, fried rice, and two plates. Lin had to close her mouth again. "Where on earth did you get the money for this?" she asked. The dish was expensive in the city; only sold in the wintertime.

He flashed her a mischievous look. "My dad's the Avatar. I have my ways." He joked.

He pats the ground next to him. "Come on, why don't you join me? I feel pretty stupid sitting here by myself."

Lin laughed, and sat beside him. He opened her bottle of soda and poured it into her glass, handing it to her before pouring his own. She took a sip, letting the bubbly, tart liquid fill her tingle the inside of her mouth.

The meal was perfect. When they had finished their plates, Tenzin reached back into the basket. "And for dessert," he smirked, pulling out two brownies, each with a strawberry on top. He observed the two treats carefully, before handing one to her. "Enjoy."

Lin looked over the dessert before taking a bite. It was rich and homemade, the perfectly ripe fruit adding just the right balance to the sweet chocolate. As she chewed, her teeth hit something hard. She tucked the object into her cheek and swallowed the rest of the mouthful before carefully sucking the brownie remnants off of the small metallic thing. Satisfied that it was less than disgusting from chewed food, she pulled it out of her mouth, and gasped.

It was a thin silver band, with a jade carefully secured in the swirling design of the setting. As she turned it in her fingers, she noted a tiny heart engraved into the inside of the band.

She looked up at Tenzin, speechless. He looked down slightly, turning pink. "Well…Lin…" he stammered, "we've been together for a while now… and I really love you. I can't imagine life without you… I know we're too young now, but this is a promise ring, saying that I promise to be with you forever, and that someday in the future, I want to marry you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life, Lin. I love you."

Tenzin took the ring from her hand, and gently slipped it onto her finger. She was in shock, overwhelmed with emotion. He took a strong hand and grasped her chin, locking his pleading grey eyes with her own. A part of her wanted to run, get away, escape. She didn't see herself settling down; not now, maybe never. This would be a huge commitment. Her eyes welled up. At the same time, she loved him with all of her heart, and visions of an actual future with him flashed through her mind for the first time. Immediately, she grew attached to them.

She took a deep breath. It was only a promise ring; its not like it was an actual engagement ring yet, she thought, calming herself. If things changed over time, so be it. But right now, the thought of spending forever with him sounded exquisite.

Lin lunged, wrapping her arms around his neck, and toppling the two over. She buried her face into his neck, tears beginning to flow and not bothering to quell them. "I love you too," she choked out, kissing his cheek.

Tenzin put a hand to the back of her head, cradling her to him. She hugged him tighter, curling up into his chest. "I love you too…." She said again, softer. Lin took a deep breath, smiling. The feeling of being held in his arms as they just lay on that blanket was pure bliss. She could forget the independence she was raised with.

She closed her eyes, taking in his scent, listening to his wild heartbeat. Tenzin stroked her hair, and she snuck a peek at his face. He was smiling lightly, his eyes shut; at ease and happy. He rest his head on top of hers, and she burrowed her face into his neck again.

Lin was suddenly overwhelmed with a contented fatigue. After laying there just cuddling in that field for what could have been just minutes, or forever, either way she didn't care, she finally drifted off to sleep. She could deal with her mother in the morning.

**Haha, I really wish that something like this would happen to me ^_^**

**I've secretly wanted to do something rebellious all summer **

**So I substituted with this :)**

**What do you guys think? **


	3. Beach 1 Race

"Have fun, kids!" Aang called as he prepared to leave. Lin sunk her toes down into the sand, soaking in the heat of the Fire Nation. The adults had decided to have a reunion party at Ember Island, and they'd brought their families to stay for the week.

This was the first time she'd been down to the beach in this time. Sure, she knew how to swim- she learned from Tenzin, with neither of her parents being very water suave – but she'd never been near the ocean. In her life, she'd only gone in either Yue Bay or the pond in Rebublic City Park. (Actually, there was a funny story to that one, involving getting kicked out of the park for a month.) But neither of those places had sand.

Experimenting, she kicked her foot, and the sand flew in a swirling arc. It was bendable.

Amidst her wonder, she hadn't noticed that everyone was waiting for her.  
"Come on, lets go!" Bumi, Tenzin's 16 year old brother groaned. "I wanna get down to the water before nightfall!"

Anala, a tall girl also of 16 with flowing black hair and striking gold eyes, played with his collar. "Yeah," she giggled seductively to him, "that's _our_ time in the water."

Lin gagged, and looked over at a 14 year old Tenzin, who was shooting his brother an irritated look. She took his hand. "Come on, forget them; lets go down by the dock." She said excitedly.

The two ran down the beach, making a race of it. Lin kicked up sand with earthbending to blind Tenzin, but she quickly discovered that his air would only turn her own her attacks into retaliation.

They were neck and neck, though Tenzin was beginning to take a lead. Lin glanced over and noticed the sand below him swirling about, and a solid trail in the fine earth behind him instead of the typical footsteps. "Hey!" She yelled. "You're cheating!"

Tenzin scoffed. "Am not," he said, throwing another gust of air behind him for effect.

With a smirk, Lin formed a pair of earth skates with the grainy material, and to her delight discovered that they moved faster in the shifting sands than on solid rock. She pulled ahead of the airbender, rocketing forward at and turning her head to get a glimpse of him in his defeat. He sat in shock, desperately trying to keep up, but it was too late now.

Lin turned back to face the dock, which was only two hundred yards away. A victorious grin spread across her face. "Aha!" She yelled. "I wi-" she was cut off by a whirlwind blowing her forward, then a heavy presence tackling her.

She hit the sand front-first, holding her hands out to catch herself. She noted an extra pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders. "Oh, no you don't," a voice said in her ear. Lin spun around, and turned red at the position; Tenzin was laying on top of her, wearing nothing but swimtrunks, his bare chest pressed up against her brown bikini top. She froze in embarrassment. "Wh-what?" she asked.

He smirked. "You're not gonna win if I have a say in it," he said.

She looked up at him curiosly. "And just what are you going to do about it?"

Tenzin kissed her on the cheek. "You'll see, sweetheart." He grinned evilly and jumped up, using airbending to land directly on his feet, and took off running.

Lin's eyes widened, and she gave herself a boost, immediately returning to her sand skates. "Oh, you're on now!"

She booked it after him, and the two skid to a stop on the wooden dock at the same time. Lin smirked. "I so won that," she teased.

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" he drew out. "Well, I guess I'll have to settle this myself." He picked her up in one fluid motion and flung her over the side of the dock, into the ocean. Unprepared for the shock of the warm water, Lin came up sputtering, her mouth filled with the salty liquid. She spit it out. "Tenzin! I'm going to get you for this!"

Tenzin laughed from his spot back at the dock, casually strolling back towards the beach. "Whatever you say, little Lin," he joked. He continued on down the beach, drawing in the sand with his toes.

Seeking vengeance, Lin solidified the sand around him, and catapulted him into the water with her. This time it was his turn to come up soaked. She laughed. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

Tenzin swam over, stopping just feet away from her before turning red and spinning around. "Um… Lin…" he muttered, a hand blocking his peripheral vision. "You have a little.. um… malfunction with your…top…" he staggeredly explained.

Confused, Lin looked down to discover her bikini top pushed up to her neck, presumably from the impact with the water. "Damn," she muttered. She quickly realigned it with its proper location, mortified.

"Okay, its all good now," she told him, trying to remain collected. He slowly turned around, and finished swimming over.  
"There, that's better," he smiled. He gave her a short kiss. "Race you back to shore?"

Lin rolled her eyes. "Oh, its on!"

**I've never been to the beach myself (sobs in the corner out of desire) so please excuse any misjudgments **

**I think I'll write another beach one to quell my sadness**


	4. Beach 2 Chicken

Lin sat in the sand with Anala, her toes buried in the wet sand down by the water, watching Tenzin and Bumi battle it out down in the ocean. The two were having a heck of a time splashing and dunking eachother into the lukewarm brine.

Bumi jumped up and wrapped his arms around Tenzin's shoulders, jerking him down, and causing Anala to chuckle.

"They're so competitive…" Lin remarked. "How long do you think they'll keep this up?" she asked. After their race, Tenzin had demanded that 'For the love of La, stop making out with your girlfriend for ten minutes and join us at the water! You're the one who wanted to get down here to begin with.'

After being brushed off by a hand, he took the liberty to physically drag his brother into the water, and the two had been at it ever since.

The older girl shrugged. "I dunno… but you gotta admit, this is pretty fun to watch."

Lin smirked as she watched her boyfriend, who had been underwater for quite some time, emerge with a bubble of air around his head, and send Bumi under the sea again.

"Yeah, I guess," she said.

After a while, the boys still hadn't called it quits, and the sun was beginning to bake down on her bare shoulders and stomach. She gazed longingly at the water, warm but just cool enough in the scalding heat. Anala sat next to her, still fixated on the show and seemingly unaffected by the relentless sun's rays. Momentarily Lin wondered how Fire Nation natives survived; by nature, pale skin should burn ,and raven hair such as Anala's should absorb the boiling heat. The people here were weird.

She looked out at the sea again and sighed. "Isn't this starting to get boring?" Lin asked. Anala just shrugged, transfixed. Lin rolled her eyes. "Come on, I have an idea."  
The girl tilted her head curiously, pulling her gaze from the wrestling match, and Lin whispered the plan into her ear. Anala grinned. "Definitely. Lets do it," she said excitedly.

Getting up, Anala took off the beach skirt wrapped around her waist, leaving it in the sand along with her sandals. Lin removed her own shorts, and the two dove into the waves, swimming underneath the water towards the boys

About a hundred yards in, Lin came up for breath, and saw that neither Tenzin nor Bumi had noticed their disappearance. When Anala popped up ten feet away from her, Lin shot her a look, telling her to put the plan into action. Lin took a deep breath and ducked back under the tide. Opening her eyes against the stinging saltwater, she could see the blurry images of the boys not far from where she swam. She squinted, trying to distinguish the two. Fortunately, Tenzin's bright yellow trunks stood out from a mile away, and she swam around behind him. Still holding her breath, she located Anala on the other side of the struggle, prepared to jump up.

In one motion, the two girls flew up out of the water, and Lin jumped up onto the unsuspecting Tenzin's back. She felt him tense, but what really amused her was the reaction she could see; Bumi had fallen back, taking Anala down with him. He thrashed his arms in an attempt to regain balance, and Anala wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding on for dear life.

She looked back at Tenzin, who was looking around, astonished. "Hey," said in his ear, "remember us?"

He laughed and turned his head. "I thought you were having 'girl time'," he teased.

Lin chuckled. "Yeah, well, that got boring," she said. "We thought it would be much more fun down here."

Bumi had finally regained himself, and Anala wrapped her legs around his chest, leaning an elbow on his shoulder, slightly annoyed. The older boy shot a mischievous look. "Oh? And just what did you have in mind?" he winked at Lin, who stuck out her tongue and hugged herself more tightly to Tenzin. The boy was an indiscriminate flirt.

Anala kissed his check. "We were thinking a game of chicken!" she yelled.

The boys eyed up their competition before agreeing, and hoisting them up more firmly on their shoulders.

Lin put a hand on Tenzin's head, on which he'd allowed himself to grow out his hair for the summer, to help herself balance as he walked closer to his brother. As Bumi ventured toward the middle as well, he began to count down. "Three,"

"Two," Tenzin continued.

"One," called Bumi again.

The two smirked. "Fight!" they both yelled.

Lin lunged forward and grabbed ahold or Anala's arms, trying to pull her off. Unfortunately, the girl was stronger than she'd expected with her skinny stature, and she twisted out of her grip. The paler girl reached out and shoved Lin's shoulder, knocking her almost off balance; she had to awkwardly grip Tenzin's face to catch herself from falling.

"Ow…" he muttered. "Watch where you're digging those fingers!" He said, removing a hand from Lin's leg to momentarily rub his eye.

Lin grinned sheepishly. "Sorry…"

In the meantime, Bumi was grinning wildly. "Whooo! Atta girl, Nal!" he cried.

Anala smirked and prepared to strike again. This time, Lin was prepared, and caught her wrist with her own hand. She twisted her arm around, forcing the elder to dig her nails into Bumi's shoulder. He winced, pretending not to feel the pain.

Tenzin laughed. "That's my babygirl," he grinned.

By the time Anala had relocated her center, Bumi's shoulder was bleeding slightly. Ooh, Lin thought, that's gotta hurt with the saltwater.

But her sympathy was short lived as Anala reached around and grabbed her hair, pinning her head back in a dirty move. She reached around with her other hand and knocked Lin back, her hands clawing at Tenzin's back desperately. Unfortunately, she couldn't get traction, and she went under. The cheers and laughter of her opponents were muffled to a dreamlike state by the water.

She swam back up and reassumed her perch for round two. In a quick and hilarious turn of events, seconds after the round declaration she pulled Anala forward with her own hair, in an act of revenge, and the raven tumbled forward, knocking both her and Bumi into the water.

Tenzin reached up and gave her a high five. "Nicely done, darlin'," he grinned. Lin laughed.

"Oh, she made it too easy."

Round three was just as cutthroat as the first. At one point, the girls both had ahold of the others' shoulders, and were desperately trying to buck the other to the side. Lin growled and jerked to the left, and was answered by a sharp yank back to the right. She wasn't sure how long it would last, but Lin had a feeling that soon the girl was gonna sink in her deep red claws.

Lin tried to twist her around, but was blocked by Anala's elbow. The fight was going nowhere fast.

Anala sacrificed one hand from Lin's shoulder in order to bury it into her hair.  
"Come on, babe," Bumi yelled, "finish her off!"

Lin squeezed her eyes for a second at the worsening pain from the tugging, which now included five miniature daggers stabbing into her head. Tenzin tightened his grip on her legs, and she used Anala's sacrificed grip to her advantage. Pulling one hand off of her own opponent, she pried the girl's remaining hand off of her shoulder, and pushed as hard as she can, sending her tumbling off sideways.

Though what she hadn't accounted for was the hand woven into her own wavy black locks. Anala brought her down with her, hair first.

Under the water, she released the grip, but the two continued to struggle to get up first. Lin kicked the older girl down and jetted up, only to have her ankle grabbed by Anala, holding her back.

After about thirty seconds of competition, both girls broke the surface, gasping and shouting.

Tenzin chuckled. "I guess there's only one way to settle this," he said to Bumi.

"Tiebreaker?" his brother asked.

"Tiebreaker."

Lin glared at Anala in a pure competitive hatred, and climbed back onto Tenzin's shoulders.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Come on, kids, its time to go!" Aang called from back at the beach. Immediately, the four teens looked back toward the sand, and sure enough, the boys' father had packed up the car and was ready to leave. What time was it?

Lin looked out the opposite direction, and sure enough, the water was beginning to turn an orangey-brown with the setting sun. It was indeed getting late.

She glared down Anala, who smirked. "First one back to the shore?" the girl challenged.

Lin laughed. "You bet," she accepted.

The two dove into the water.

Back where they had been, Tenzin shook his head "Oh boy…" he said.

"How are they so competitive?" Bumi asked.

"Who knows."

**Okay, I think that this one either satisfied my angst of not being at the beach, or made it worse  
****Who knows  
****Oh well  
****Maybe someday  
****Summer's not over yet**

**Oh yeah, and if you guys want to give possible prompts along with your reviews, that'd be awesome :) I have a few in mind already, but a little help can't hurt**


	5. Gondola

Lin looked up at the luminous pink sky, watching the orange ball of flames slowly sinking down past the horizon of the tall buildings surrounding the park. A warm breeze blew through, unhinging a strand of her wavy hair from its coiffure and signaling that the hot, sticky summer day was beginning to cool.

She rotated her gaze toward the man whose arms were wrapped around her as they walked toward his latest surprise. At the age of nineteen, she'd been with him for the vast majority of her teen years. They were currently in Republic City Park. She glanced as they strolled past the pond, and chuckled at a memory of their much younger years, probably no older than seven. They'd caused a huge mess of trouble, and it was lucky that they weren't banned from the park.

The heel of Lin's umber sandal caught on a cobblestone, and she stumbled for a moment before being caught by Tenzin. He laughed. "Watch it, hon, we don't need you breaking your ankle before we get there," he joked.

Lin rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him. "I'm fine," she said.

She tugged up the edge of her shin length, camel-tan sundress, inspecting her shoe. Deeming it unharmed, she continued to walk.

The two crossed the small arched bridge, and Tenzin came to a stop at the bottom, extending a hand. Lin leaned forward, and saw what he was gesturing to, hiding behind a bush. There, in the river, was a small cherry-birch gondola trimmed with gold, and complete with a rower standing at the front. Lin laughed, looking up at Tenzin with a wide, openmouthed grin.

"You seriously didn't…" she said in awe.

The man shrugged, smiling right back. "Care to go for a ride?" he asked.

Lin's eyes flashed. "Are you kidding me? Of course!" she felt like a schoolgirl. This was something that only happened in the fairytales her father used to read to her at night. And quite honestly, she never believed things like that happened even in them.

Tenzin, her prince Charming, took her hand, helping guide her into the felze. He sat down beside her, careful not to rock the tiny boat. With a nod of his head, the rower began to move, and astonishingly, sing to them.

Lin looked at Tenzin in disbelief. "Okay, you have got to be joking," she teased. The young man's eyes darted self-consciously, and she pulled him into a tight hug. "I love it," she said, reassuring him that the date was perfect.

She studied the rocks on the inside of the arc as they rowed underneath the bridge. When they emerged on the other side, the park seemed so much different than it did in everyday life. The combination of the gentle waves rocking the gondola, the lack of squealing children, the sweet perfume of the flowers in bloom, and the late sunset gave the place an almost magical quality.

With each everyday landmark that they passed, Lin's amazement grew. The experience was amazing. She looked up at Tenzin, who simply smiled back at her, and pulled her closer. Lin rest her head on his shoulder, and watched as the sky faded from pink, to purple, to an inky black, and saw stars flash one by one into the night sky.

By the time they'd reached the bridge again, the full moon was reflected in the dark water, and to her amusement, off of Tenzin's head. The gondola pulled to a stop, and Tenzin stood to assist her out of the vessel. Once they were on dry ground, he reached into his robes and pulled out a single red rose, handing it to Lin.

She closed her eyes and held it to her nose, almost in a daze at the romance of the evening. Reopening her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Tenzin and kissed him.

After about a minute, she pulled away, looking into his eyes.

"You never do let me forget why I love you, do you?" she joked.

Tenzin chuckled. "I'd never let that happen," he grinned. He hugged her to him, his arms warming her bare sleeves against the night chill, and they walked to the car. Though Lin really didn't think she wanted to go home just yet. She wished that, despite it being so incredibly cheesy, the night could last forever.

**So, guys, this is what you get when you have a hopeless romantic with no life: a bunch of cheesy Linzin oneshots!  
****I'll try to keep some of them a bit less sappy in the future**

**Do they even have gondolas in Republic City Park? They should. That'd be cool. **

**I really want to go on a gondola ride now...**

**I want to go on a gondola ride in Republic City Park **


	6. Pond

"Look what Daddy brought me from his business trip!" the little girl giggled. Her messy pigtails bounced in her face as she reached behind her back, proudly displaying a brightly colored stuffed Tigerdillo to her companion.

A small boy cocked his head inquisitively at the plush creature. "Its… _cute_," he said in disgust, crinkling his nose.

The girl with wavy pigtails crinkled her brow. "I know it's cute," Lin perked, " but daddy says that the real thing would eat you up whole!" She cried with a malicious grin, throwing up her arms in effect with the toy still in one hand.

"Nuh uh," Tenzin argued. "Cute things can't hurt you. Only tough, scary things!"

Lin crossed her arms, still clinging to the stuffed animal. "What exactly makes you think that, smarty pants?"

Tenzin shrugged. "I dunno; just the fact that I never seen nobody come to mom 'cause a koala-otter attacked them."

"That's not proof!" Lin said, irritated. "That just means you haven't seen it!"

Tenzin huffed. "No! It means it doesn't happen."

A missing tooth in the corner of her mouth was visible as Lin spoke. "Well, even if koala-otters don't hurt people, that doesn't mean that no cute things do."

"Yes it does," Tenzin said.

"Does too," Lin protested.

Tenzin stood from his seat on the stone bench. "Does not," he cried, hands balled at his sides.

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too!"

"Does not!"

"Does _too_!"

Lin stomped, making the ground shake slightly. "_DOES NOT_!" She yelled. Tenzin blinked and muttered something under his breath. Cupping a hand to her ear, Lin leaned forward, toward him. "Huh? What was that?" she mocked.

Tenzin glared. "I said that I'm still right."

Lin laughed. "No you're not."

"Am too."

"Are not."

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

Tenzin huffed, and lunged. Taken off guard, it took Lin a moment to detect the small, unnatural gust of wind that blew the bottom of her baggy shorts against her legs, and a moment longer to notice her empty hands and see Tenzin running off down the pathway. Her jaw dropped.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Get back here!"

She took off after him, running full speed down the winding stone walkways. Ahead of her, Tenzin ducked through the legs of a tall man walking a poodle-monkey as if he were just an arch. Seconds later, Lin followed in suit, and she felt the man fall to the ground behind her, letting out a cry. But she didn't care; the only thing on her mind was catching Tenzin and getting her Tigerdillo back. They wove around the typical Sunday crowed of those out for a stroll at Republic City Park, with Tenzin slightly ahead due to his immediate start.

Lin dodged a balloon salesman, ignoring his shouts for her to stop; she was just a few feet away now. She was catching up.

Tenzin looked over his shoulder and stuck out his tongue, clutching the toy ahead of him. "Say I'm right," he yelled, "and you can get it back!"

Lin narrowed her eyes. "No!"

The boy simply shrugged and increased his speed. Lin grunted and followed his lead. He jumped and soared through a gap in another cart, shocking the near senile looking elderly peddler. Unfortunately, Lin didn't have enough time to prepare, and certainly wasn't going to stop, so she ended up crashing headlong into the cart. There was a rumble as the contents spilled to the ground and rolled away.

Lin shook her head and darted around the cart, continuing her persuit. "No! My cabbages!" she heard the man cry from behind. "I'm calling your parents!" He bellowed before a slight pause. "…oh, what'll they care…" he muttered. "You're even worse than them!" He shouted again.

She rolled her eyes; senile old cook.

Tenzin tripped as a stray poodle-monkey ran in front of him, entangling his legs with its leash. He fell to the ground with a thud, and, panting, Lin skidded to a stop, looming over him with a sharp glare.

"Hand it over," she threatened.

Tenzin chuckled. "Say I'm right."

"No way!"

"Then you'll have to come get it!" In a heartbeat, Tenzin was back on his feet, running again. Lin started up once again, growing tired and just wanting her toy back. Angry citizens shouted at them as they pursued, but they were oblivious. Trying to pull a fast move, Tenzin redirected towards the water, but unbenounced to himself, he ended up cornered between a bush and the bridge. He gulped as Lin slowly approached.

His eyes darted, but found nowhere to run. Lin pounced at him, tackling the culprit to the ground, or, to both of their surprise, into the pond. She blinked, shocked by being suddenly soaked, before going after Tenzin again. She wrapped her arms around his neck from behind. "Give it back," she yelled. Tenzin squirmed out of her grip. "No!"

Lin grunted and attacked again, wrestling him under the water. He splashed furiously, sending a flock of stray turtleducks squawking away. Despite Lin's determination, he fought his way back up, still holding the now soaked plushie in a death grip.

Tenzin jumped away, but Lin jumped right after him, slamming him back into the cold water. The next time Tenzin broke free, dove, this time dunking Lin underwater from beneath. She landed on her backside in the shallow pool, even more enraged than before.

She saw him pop up a few yards away, and buried her foot in the gravel at the bottom of the pond, checking that he was still indeed touching the ground. With a smirk, she sent a small shockwave through the stones. It was weak, but it did its purpose as she saw Tenzin fall back under the water, caught off guard.

Lin retrieved her foot and swam back over. This time, when Tenzin surfaced, instead of arguing, he just handed over the stuffed animal.

"Its stupid, anyway…" he grumbled. Lin grabbed the Tigerdillo and hugged it to her.

"Thank you, " she said. Tenzin sneered and made his way back to the edge of the pond, exiting the water.

"Ow," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Okay, you were right. Cute things can hurt you… " he grumped.

Lin laughed and turned to follow, but once she got back up the small hill leading to the pond, she stopped in her tracks.

The park was in total chaos; a complete mess. The balloon man from earlier spotted the two as they made their way, dripping, onto the path. "That's them," he yelled to a police officer. Lin recognized him as one from her mom's old unit, and gulped. "Get them!"

Tenzin flashed a look back at her, and the two took off running yet again, this time fleeing the scene to the safety of downtown, laughing.

**Eh, I've mentioned the memory multiple times, I think its about time I've posted the story behind it, don't you think? **

**Sorry, not the greatest.  
**


	7. Haunted House

The moon shone a vibrant gold against the black sky. Eerie, twisting shadows were cast across the street by the disheveled and derelict buildings of the Dragon Flats borough. Voices chattered quietly, laughing excitedly as a gust of cold wind swept Lin's hair across her face.

She hugged chest in her arms and was bumped forward yet again by the rambunctious group behind her. "Can you believe them?" she muttered to Tenzin beside her. He chuckled as a bloodcurdling shriek echoed from not far in front of them.

"Come on, Lin, relax a little. They're just anxious to get in." He laughed. "Aren't you?"

Her shoulders rose in a shrug, and she smirked. "Yeah, I guess you're right." The grin spread across her face as she heard another scream. "From the sounds of it, this place is pretty awesome."

Tenzin pat her on the back. " 'Atta girl! Now remember," he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, " if you get scared," his other arm secured itself around her front, "I'm right next to you, okay?"

Lin let out a loud laugh. "Sure," she teased, knowing it was unnecessary. She grew up in the police station, and saw what went on in the real world. Not to mention she was brave, stubborn, qualities inherited from her mother. There wasn't much that could scare her. She felt a surge of excitement and confidence as the line shuffled forward, leaving them in the front.

She laid a hand over Tenzin's and clasped it in hers, guiding his arm back down to her side. "Ready?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

Tenzin looked down at her daringly. "If you're sure _you_ are," he drawled.

Lin rolled her eyes at him and looked up at the tall abandoned warehouse. Several windows along the concrete walls were either broken or covered by iron bars, and blackened by either paint or sheets to allow no light into the building. Webs stretched between cracked lightposts and the building, littered with realistic spiders. The street echoed with the chatter of those still in line and an evil cackling being projected from inside.

A man dressed as the grim reaper, complete with a gleaming scythe, stood at the doorway. He grinned a permanently fixated smile as he nodded, signaling for them to step forward.  
It wasn't until then that Lin got an uneasy feeling in her stomach, and hesitated slightly. Tenzin ushered her forward. "What's the matter, Linny, having second thoughts?" he taunted.

Lin steeled her jaw and stepped forward, glaring back up at him boldly. "Not on your life."

The man reached over and pulled back the flap of the black curtain covering the door. "In you go," a raspy voice grumbled from behind the mask. Lin gulped slightly as Tenzin pulled her forward. Artificial smoke whirled up around them as they stepped into the darkness. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see that there was a faint glow from the occasional candle guiding them through the building.

"Woah! Check this out!" cried Tenzin, pointing at a dark brown figure with matted fur covering all but its face. Lin chuckled and leaned in for closer inspection. Very fake. This place wasn't scary in the slightest.

As they continued along the path, they passed through a scene set up like a doctor's office, filled with fake body parts covered in blood, and a maze made up of mirrors. Eventually they came to a "forest" made up of cheesy paper-mache trees, and entered. Stuffed, demented versions of everyday animals like elephant-rats, goat-dogs, meadow voles, lop eared rabbits, and sparrowkeets positioned themselves between the trees, with pointy teeth and bloodshot eyes.

Tenzin laughed at a particularly silly miniature bird sitting on a low branch, and walked up, turning around so it appeared to be sitting on his shoulder. "Really?" Lin chuckled, amused. He took it one step further, reaching over to pet the creature and making a kissing face, when suddenly it opened its mouth and let out a loud, bloodcurdling scream unexpected by its appearance. Tenzin let out a strangled yelp and jumped away, flailing his arms in fright. Lin burst into laughter, literally doubling over, clutching her stomach.

Grabbing her hand, Tenzin pouted and pulled her forward, keeping an eye on the bird as they passed, making Lin chuckle more.

After some time, the effects grew pretty boring, and Lin was more anxious to find the end. Tenzin, on the other hand, was enthusiastically pointing out every tiny detail as she played along. Eventually they came to a room that was entirely white, set up like another maze. Pictures of people hung on the walls, with their faces sliced apart and decaying, just as everything else in the haunted house.

Tenzin let go of her hand to run into one of the rooms along the maze, set up likes bland bedrooms. "Cool," he remarked. Lin poked her head in behind him, seeing him fiddle with an old calligraphy set before continuing without him, increasingly bored.

She went along by herself, passing bedroom after bedroom. Suddenly, a man dressed as a doctor in a long white coat stepped out from one, and looked up from his clipboard at her.

"Excuse me, miss, but what's your name? " he asked her.

Lin scrunched her brow in amused disbelief. "Lin Bei Fong," she answered.

He looked down at his clipboard again. "Ah, Bei Fong…" he muttered. "I see. What are you doing down here?" the doctor asked. "You should be in sector C… Nurse," he turned his attention back into the room, "please help Miss Bei Fong back to her dormitory."

A young woman dressed as a nurse stepped out of the room. "Of course, doctor." She approached Lin, smiling sweetly. "Hi, Sweetie," she said slowly, as if to a child. "What are you doing down here? You should be in your room." The woman gently grabbed her arm, and tugged on it to lead her down the hall.

"Hey, get off of me!" Lin yelled, aghast. "Just who the hell do you think you are?" She yanked her arm up, trying to free herself from the nurse's grasp.

The woman smiled sympathetically and placed another hand on her back, rubbing it. "It's alright, Dear. Just try to relax."

She continued to urge, somehow steeled against Lin's retorts. No matter how hard she fought, the nurse was just unaffected, and much stronger than herself. "Honey, please calm down," the nurse soothed. "You're perfectly safe. Lets just take you back to your room so you can lie down for a while." With that, she began to lead Lin down the stark white hall.

Lin began to panic. "Help!" she yelled to no one.

She cried out as the nurse pulled at her with ease, taking her past room after empty room. This was just weird, and a desperate feeling bubbled in her gut. Any attempt at breaking away from her clutches was futile. The nurse was unaffected by any of her resistance.

"Help!" she yelled again. She looked around, trying to find a ways of escape, but saw nothing but a sterile maze of walls and doors, endless in every direction except for one. Large double doors loomed ominously before them, locked and silent , and where the nurse was taking her. Lin made another attempt at twisting out of the nurse's grip, but she continued to walk her to the door, the smile on her face resembling what she imagined the Joo Dee that her mother's friends used to joke about when she was younger.

She gulped. They got closer and closer to the door, and she broke out into a sweat. Although she wasn't sure what was behind the doors, instinct told her that it was fatal. Feral panic swept through her, and she let out a scream at the top of her lungs. "Tenzin!" She shouted. It echoed off of the walls, the ceiling, the floors. She struggled and fought the nurse as she continued to pull her towards the door.

Lin wasn't sure why, but her eyes welled up with tears. "Please," she begged, "let me go." She felt doomed, mortality penetrating through her core. "Don't take me in there, no, please," she cried.

The nurse was deaf to her pleas, and they were now only feet from the door. "No…No!" Lin shouted. "No! Tenzin! No!" She screamed bloody murder to anyone who could hear, but there was no one, just herself and the nurse who was less than sympathetic. She sobbed out. "No!"

Suddenly the door opened, and from beyond emerged none other than Tenzin, his arms outspread. Lin twisted from the nurse's grasp and this time, finally broke free, and ran toward him. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried, absolutely terrified, until she heard him chuckle. "Still think that this place is lame?"

With the sudden realization of what he'd staged against her, her sobs dwindled into fury.

"You! Freaking! Jerk!" She shouted between repetitive punches to his damp chest. "I can't believe you!" Another swing. "You're horrible! You're cruel! You… you.. you…!" Lin couldn't even think of a word that accurately described him for his actions, other than 'asshole'.

She swung again, and this time he grabbed her fist in his hand before it hit, laughing. "Hey!" he said. "Come on," he used his other hand to turn her face toward him, "what's hallowee without a little scare?"

Lin shook her head, still furious, and gave one last punch. "Whatever." She crossed her arms as he led her out the door and onto the street. "It's still not funny," she threatened.

Tenzin chuckled. "Whatever you say…" he wrapped his arm around her. "Cold?" he asked.

Lin shook her head. "Hmph." She pouted the rest of the way home.

**Wow, I have NO time anymore! I'm so sorry, guys! **

**I was pretty upset that yet again I didn't get to go to a haunted house, so I substituted :) You'll notice that I do that a lot, haha  
**

**Just in case your candy's already gone, here's your Halloween treat, even if it is a little late.**


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